Equity and Student Success

The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) is committed to improving success and ensuring environments are conducive to optimum learning for all students, with a particular focus on those who are traditionally underserved in higher education. This commitment informs policy decision-making, funding recommendations, ongoing programs as well as special initiatives.

In its equity initiatives and efforts, the HECC welcomes the involvement and collaboration of campus communities, students and families, community-based organizations, tribal partners, agencies and additional stakeholders to achieve mutual education goals and build lasting relationships to improve the futures of all Oregon students.

Equity Lens

The Oregon Equity Lens​ was adopted by the HECC in 2014 as a cornerstone to the State’s approach to education policy and budgeting. The purpose of the Equity Lens is to clearly articulate a shared goal for an equitable education system, to put into place the intentional policies, investments, and systemic changes necessary to reach this goal and to create clear accountability structures to ensure that we are actively making progress and correcting past inequities.​

Diversity and Affirmative Action plan:

Equity-Related Data Resources:

While education outcomes statewide are trending slightly upward, Oregon continues to see significant disparities. Low-income and students of color experience less opportunity and success throughout the education continuum, including higher education.

The HECC's Statewide Higher Education Snapshots, an annutal set of reports first launched in 2018, provide a high level overview of data on enrollment, affordability and outcomes for resident students in Oregon's public institutions, disaggregated by ethnicity/race, and more.